VOM prayer list

VOM News and Prayer Update: September 25, 2007

"Behold, God is my salvation, I will trust and not be afraid; For YAH, the LORD, is my strength and song; He also has become my salvation."(Isaiah 12:2)

CHINA
Imprisoned Pastor's Health Failing – VOM Sources
On September 24, The Voice of the Martyrs received reports that Pastor Zhang Rongliang's health was failing, and if he is not released, he would die in prison. According to contacts in China, "Pastor Zhang must be carried from place to place by two men supporting him. He does not walk well on his own. He openly questions whether he can finish this sentence. If he is not released, there is a good chance that he will die in prison." Pastor Zhang still has four years remaining of the seven-and-a-half year sentence he received after his arrest in 2004. He already had previously spent 12 years in prison for his faith during five separate detentions. He experienced harsh torture, including electric shock, during his previous prison terms. Pray for Pastor Zhang's healing and for his release from prison. Pray the Holy Spirit will encourage him and that his testimony will draw nonbelievers into the knowledge of Christ. Psalm 118:17; 3 John 2

INDIA
Hindu Extremists Plan Assaults in Karnataka – VOM Sources
On September 22, Christians in Bangalore, Karnataka's capital, protested the growing number of Hindu extremist attacks in the state and their planned assaults on church meetings in Mysore district. According to The Voice of the Martyrs' contacts in India, Hindu extremists belonging to the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh and Bajrang Dal groups planned to launch a series of attacks against Christians in areas of Mysore district. Pray the plans of Satan will not succeed. Pray the Holy Spirit will touch the lives of the extremists and lead them into the knowledge of Christ. Psalm 27:1; 2 Timothy 1:7

UZBEKISTAN
Crackdown on Christians – Forum 18 News
According to Forum 18 News, several Christians were recently arrested or fined.

• On August 27, Sharofat Allamova received a suspended sentence of six months in central Bhukara. This was after police confiscated literature from her in June. Allamova was prosecuted under article 244-3 of the Criminal Code, which punishes "illegal production, storage, import or distribution of religious materials."
• On August 28, Pastor Khyn-Mun Kimi and a colleague were fined about one month's salary for "illegal" religious activity in Karakalpakstan.
• In an unrelated incident, a group of Protestants in the Southern region of Uzbekistan were detained after they "illegally" met for worship. Police confiscated religious literature and 12 of the believers face impending charges.

Pray Christians in Uzbekistan will remain steadfast in their faith despite pressure from the government. Ask God to touch the lives of authorities in Uzbekistan. Isaiah 54:14, Psalm 91

MorningStar tower update

MorningStar Ministries would have six months from the time York County Council approves their plans to prove they have the money to turn the uncompleted 20-story tower into a senior citizens' high-rise, according to a development agreement.

If the ministry can't show they have the money, the draft version of the agreement calls for demolition of the tower at their expense.

Read this article in the local newspaper here.

The Rwandans

Last night we had Paul and Leonard give a message a word to the Zadok House of Prayer. It was quite profound, speaking into situations they had no natural knowledge about. They are here for several more days, should be terrific. Meanwhile, MorningStar's HarvestFest begins...

The "eagle has landed" in Reykjavik

Got word from Katie that the "eagle has landed". They are in their new home in Reykjavik, though it required faith and patience even after they took the bus from the airport into town. I'm so proud of them, they have their hands to the plow and are walking towards the harvest. As I type this I have a smile on my face that won't quit.

People some times wonder what it takes to minister. Great question, simple answer. It takes the Holy Spirit, who gives wisdom and insight and leads followers of Jesus into bearing fruit that remains (i.e. have an impact in something that is eternal, not passing away with this world and its corruptions). He, the Holy Spirit, gives honor to Jesus and leads men to Him and show Him as the Light of the world. True Light from True Light - True God from True God. This is Jesus: the Bread who came down from heaven... One Who was born yet was not made. This is God's Son... listen to Him!

As I stated, the question of qualifying for ministry is a simple answer. Its not having an MDiv or being quoted on the Elijah List emails or having a CD for sale. Eric and Katie are qualified to the degree that God has sent them and to which they follow the Holy Spirit. Whatever God does will last forever (Ecc. 3:14). The working out is in the balance for them as much as it is for you and I today forward.

Read Jesus' words in John 20 when He first met them all after His resurrection from the dead:

So Jesus said to them again, “Peace to you! As the Father has sent Me, I also send you.” And when He had said this, He breathed on them, and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.”

God's kindness to the end

In teaching the interns on Saturday, one line of questioning I took still is replaying in my spirit. I'm not sure why, exactly, other than to me it draws me out to thanksgiving and wonder of God as He is. I mentioned in my teaching on Saturday afternoon that conviction of sin could and should be seen as God's gift. A hand was raised and a question came requesting more clarification and depth.

My response was that if we see God's Spirit coming upon us and correcting us, God telling us "No, you've crossed a boundary"... this is God's kindness to us. If we see God, however, as waiting/chomping at the bit for the slightest reason to punish us... if we see God's bringing our sin under the searching Light of His Countenance as a "slap on the back of the head" that He is oh-so-eager to deliver... then we are interpreting His character and His intentions wrongly. Its God's kindness that leads us to repentance (Romans 2:4). This moving of the Good Shepherd's rod is to lead us back to His ways and away from the corruption of our souls, things that lead to death.

He wants us living our lives with Him. He knows the wisdom of living with Jesus as the center of our desires and motivations, because He made us and knows how life truly works. The rock-hard truth in this also shows that if God doesn't make us aware of our sin, then we are truly under severe judgement: He has turned His face from us and we cannot find our way back to True Life and True Love Himself, His Son. Thus we could be so insistent upon going our own way that He would leave us to our own devices. And we then are mired in the greatest blindness possible: unable to see our own blindness and deafness. All this presents my point again more clearly: when He shows us our sin it is an act of love, intent upon leading us out of the muck and mud and boggy traps of our self-serving desires. Thus, leading us by His love into His love we are changed. We become truly free, able to love and be loved... and glad to cast down every crown of presumed achivement in whole-hearted praise and thanksgiving of the Savior.


John 13: 1
Now before the Feast of the Passover, when Jesus knew that His hour had come that He should depart from this world to the Father, having loved His own who were in the world, He loved them to the end.

Where You go I'll go

Had breakfast with Eric and Katie and family this morning, then saw them off at the airport. It was a single step on a long road, but a big step to be sure. Kolbeinn and Ella will host an event for them tomorrow night in Reykjavik. Housing fell into place for them at just the right time. As I type this, their plane has just left Baltimore and is winging its way towards a new season of prayer and fasting and watching. Godspeed, Eric and Katie! So now we continue prepping to come alongside the house of prayer there in early November at the Iceland house of prayer conference.

The internship at ZHOP started well this last week, a good group. Some former interns returning for a refresher course as well. Let the good times roll, prepare a people for Yourself, oh God.